BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that the country is now in the hands of looters in a response to the budget for the fiscal year 2024-2025 proposed by the National Assembly. This budget is also for looters. Loot is planned anew in the budget.
He said that in the proposed so-called budget, the expenditure is much higher than the income. This burden will fall on the common man in the sectors of income shown and what he will do to meet the expenses will fall on the common man. That is, this budget is dependent on loans from abroad and from banks within Bangladesh. It all depends on people.
He also said that the worst part of the budget is that there is no direction to create employment. The entire budget is spent on mega projects and mega theft and corruption. So this is not only the so-called anti-people, it is anti-Bangladesh budget.
Mirza Fakhrul said these things in response to questions from journalists at BNP Chairperson’s office in Gulshan on Thursday (June 6) afternoon.
He said, ‘People are not able to pull this burden anymore. On the one hand extreme inflation. Especially the increase in food prices is not bearable for them. A few days ago, the prices of petrol, diesel and electricity have increased. After the budget, these prices will increase again. The agreement with the IMF will increase prices four times per year.’
Mirza Fakhrul said, ‘What are we paying this extra money for? Everyone knows that there is theft in the electricity sector. Everything from quick rentals to buying power from Adani has made their (government) pockets heavier. Where Rooppur plant is not progressing. Where did the works of Payra port, flyover, elevated expressway go?’
He criticized the government and said, which way are you solving the problems of the common people? People can’t do it anymore. But many people are leaving the city and moving to the countryside. Because they can no longer survive in Dhaka city. And even going to the village is in danger because there is no employment there.
Mirza Fakhrul said about taxes on legitimate income and laundering of black money, “The entire burden falls on those who earn legitimate income. Nothing happens to the wrongdoers. Do not see, how a government official wealth of thousands of crores of rupees? How does the former army chief create so much wealth? There are two incidents here. There are many such cases. Look around you will see. That is, workers could not go to Malaysia. It is a lack of confidence and a gross failure of the government. 4/5 MPs of the government are involved here. Where will people go? They have no place to stand. If there is no people’s government and accountability, this will happen.’
He said, ‘This parliament is theirs. They are the government party, they are the private party. This is done through dummy elections. I saw in the newspaper that a Member of Parliament was stopped when he started discussing Benazir. That means nothing can be said there in public interest. Only praise and praise.’